


but you gotta go to work

by trashiestofthemall



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Office AU, One-Shot, what even are tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-22 08:34:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22213189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashiestofthemall/pseuds/trashiestofthemall
Summary: seonghwa just wants a job in his dream company. but before he can even get a spot, everything goes to shitor: soulmate! au where your hair colour changes every time you soulmate changes it, and maybe, just maybe, seonghwa's may hate him.
Relationships: CEO!Hongjoong, Choi San (Mentioned) - Relationship, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Jung Wooyoung (Mentioned) - Relationship, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa, Seongjoong - Relationship
Comments: 28
Kudos: 295





	1. you got me going craaaazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> seonghwa just wants a job, but what he gets is so much more.

Not again.

Seonghwa sighed as he looked in the mirror, running his fingers through his hair as he attempted to fix what had been the ‘perfect interview look’. Of all days his soulmate had to dye his hair, why did it have to be the day when he was going to be interviewed to join the company of his dreams? KQ Technology wasn’t the place where one could mess around, in fact, the company had a reputation for having dedicated and disciplined employees, allowing KQ to continuously lead in the competitive market.

When Seonghwa was just a boy, his father recounted his numerous work experiences, struggles and lovely memories that just made Seonghwa want _more_. Seonghwa wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, to become the technological genius he was and contribute as much as he could to the company.

With these dreams, Seonghwa worked hard throughout his schooling years and graduated from Harvard with a degree in Computational Science and Engineering, a feat that wasn’t so easy achieved for someone who had barely anyone to rely on in his teens, seeing that his father passed when Seonghwa was eleven.

He was almost there; Seonghwa remembered the day when he received the golden email, sitting in his inbox smiling at him. Applying for the job position was already hard, even more so attempting to get a position as the private secretary of his CEO. Everyone started from somewhere, he thought, and he would do anything to get into the company and work his way up. He had screamed in happiness and thrown himself at his roommate, San, for a hug, eyes welling up with tears of joy. They had a celebratory dinner of fried chicken and pizza, inviting their friends over to celebrate Seonghwa’s success as well.

But everything seemed to be going to shit for Seonghwa today. His soulmate was probably the most evil and scheming asshole in the world, he thought. Every few weeks or so, Seonghwa’s hair had changed drastically to the point where he was convinced his soulmate wore wigs as they had dyed their hair too often to the point they could have gone bald. One week it was a dark blue, the next it was a bubblegum pink, so on and so forth.

The worst part was, his soulmate had always dyed his hair a striking colour on Seonghwa’s most important days, like today for example. And the shade he’d chose was a bright red, not even maroon or faded. But bright, crimson red. Boy, did Seonghwa want to punch his soulmate’s face at the time, because he was just about to be accepted into the company of his dreams. Letting out a final sigh, Seonghwa gave up attempting to fix his hair and pulled on a paperboy style hat in order to cover most of his head, grabbed his work satchel and left the house.

He arrived ten minutes before his scheduled interview timing and smiled, glad that he was so punctual in order to make a good first impression to anyone who worked here. He entered the tall building, the cold air hitting him and he took the opportunity to adjust his now loose tie from running to reach on time. Putting a small smile on his face, he approached the friendly-looking man at the information counter.

“Hi there! I’m Jung Wooyoung, could I know what you’re here for?” the silver haired boy grinned at Seonghwa from behind the counter.

“Good morning, I’m Park Seonghwa and I’m here for-“

“Ah I know why you’re here! Please follow me and I’ll take you to Mr Kim right away!” Wooyoung chirped as he directed Seonghwa to the glass box of a lift and pressed the button with the number ‘55’ on it.

Seonghwa gulped. “M-Mr Kim is interviewing me? I thought it would’ve been a director, it must be such a hassle for him.”

“Don’t worry!” Wooyoung smiled back at him, “Mr Kim wants to be able to see who comes in and out of the company, no matter their rank so that he knows everyone in the office! It’s kind of nice actually, knowing that you were ‘specially chosen’ by the CEO himself.”

The two fell into a comfortable silence before Seonghwa spoke up.

“You know, I haven’t had the best day today. My idiot of a soulmate dyed his hair bright red. See?” Seonghwa lifted up his cap, Wooyoung’s eyes widening slowly as he saw it, “And the worst part is that there’s this random streak of silver in it! Did my soulmate go to a really bad salon or did they dye it themselves? I mean, how hard could it be to apply the dye on your hair? And it’s such an eye-sore, it makes me feel so-“ Seonghwa caught himself and rubbed his neck awkwardly, “Sorry for ranting, Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung’s shocked expression slowly turned into a sneaky grin. “Wait, so you still don’t know your soulmate?”

“No I don’t, and why are you looking at me like that?”

“Nothing! Anyway, we’ve arrived,” Wooyoung quickly ended the conversation and stepped out the elevator, directing Seonghwa to face a dark, wood door. “Mr Kim is already inside, so you can just knock and enter. All the best for your interview, Seonghwa!” The silver haired stood patiently behind Seonghwa as he knocked and heard a soft ‘come in!’ before turning the handle.

Only to see a man, whose hair was bright red with a very out-of-place silver streak down his hair.

Seonghwa’s shocked squeak made Wooyoung cackle and when he turned to face the shorter, he had already disappeared down the hall. He quickly regained his composure and closed the heavy door behind him, heart sinking in his chest. ‘How could I have already embarrassed myself in less than 30 seconds?’

“Come over Seonghwa-ssi, you can have a seat while I grab something for us to drink. Is tea alright?” His soulmate, or rather, Mr Kim asked as he tidied up some files on his desk. Seonghwa could only bring himself to nod and Mr Kim gave him a warm smile before leaving the room. At that very second, he texted his best friend, Yunho, to tell him of his eventful morning.

** henlo? nah bi bi **

****

**ddeonghwa:** YUNHOE

**ddeonghwa:** YOU WONT BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED

**ddeonghwa:** ANSWER ME I KNOW YOURE ONLINE

_read: 9.45a.m._

**i can be yu(n)hoe:** CALM DOWN MA IM DRINKING ORANGE

JUICE FROM MY BOWL

**ddeonghwa:** youre doing what now

**ddeonghwa:** yknow what i dont even want to know

**ddeonghwa:** anyway GUESS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME

**i can be yu(n)hoe:** uh dont know don’t care

**ddeonghwa:** yunho. my best friend.

**i can be yu(n)hoe:** okok sorry i just want to go and

continue cuddling with mingi

**i can be yu(n)hoe:** go on

**ddeonghwa:** my future BOSS is my SOULMATE

**i can be yu(n)hoe:** I SAPT OTU MY JUCIE TWF

**i can be yu(n)hoe:** hi its mingi yunho went to the toilet

to clean himself up

**i can be yu(n)hoe:** but that’s so… weird

**ddeonghwa:** I KNOW RIGHT IM GNA CRY

**ddeonghwa:** OH HES BACK IGTG

Seonghwa quickly pocketed his phone as Mr Kim re-entered the room, with two cups of steaming hot green tea. He accepted it with a small thank you, and proceeded to take a sip of the comforting drink.

“So, ‘my future boss is my soulmate’ huh” Mr Kim smirked, causing Seonghwa to promptly burn his tongue and reach for one of the small water bottles on the desk. Mr Kim, realizing his mistake, quickly helped to uncap the bottle and pass it to Seonghwa.

“I couldn’t help but to overhear you muttering to yourself while you were typing. No wonder you looked so antsy around me,” Mr Kim’s lips pulled up into a grin while Seonghwa’s ears burned, placing the bottle back on the table. “And Wooyoung told me about what you said about my hair,” Mr Kim, _MR KIM_ , pouted, “This silver streak is one of art! Is that how you treat your future employer?”

Seonghwa’s eyes widened. He didn’t expect his remark would cost him his job. “No no it’s not that! It’s because I’d prefer hair to be one toned y’know? And please don’t fire me I didn’t mean it,” he held up his hands as if he were pleaing.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t even hired you yet. But I do have one special request since your resume is perfect.” Seonghwa raised his bowed head to meet Mr Kim’s glittering eyes, rather warily since he didn’t know what to expect.

“Please, call me Hongjoong, Seonghwa-ssi. And let’s head out for lunch after this, my treat.”

And that was an offer Seonghwa simply couldn't refuse.


	2. but i keep falling, and falling, for you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> seonghwa has come to terms with one thing; he loves kim hongjoong.

Seonghwa wakes up to not the sound of birds chirping, not even to the sound of his alarm clock, but to Hongjoong’s sleep talking.

The once annoyed expression he wore dissipated to become a soft smile; His fiancé looked so ethereal with the soft morning light seeping through their curtains, casting its glow onto Hongjoong’s face. Seonghwa sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed, hands tangling itselves into the ends of Hongjoong’s mullet.

If there was one thing that hadn’t changed all this years, it was the fact that Hongjoong still did his crazy hair-styles.

Since their first encounter 3 years ago during Seonghwa’s interview, Hongjoong had experimented with every hair-style you could have ever imagined. You name it? He’s probably done it. Rat-tails? He did them, in an ashy colour, closely followed by pastel purple. Seonghwa is convinced the amount of chemicals in his hair caused the company’s success as a whole.

Maybe it’s the chemicals that still make him fall in love with Hongjoong over and over again.

Seonghwa pulls the covers over Hongjoong, places a small kiss to his temple, and heads to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He was the only one in their apartment between the two who could make a decent meal without risking burning down the whole place.

_“It’s okay Seonghwa, you can rest on the sofa!” Hongjoong pushed his boyfriend down to the sofa and rolled up the sleeves of his button-down. “I’ll take care of dinner tonight!”_

_“Thanks Joongie,” Seonghwa smiled before erupting in a fit of coughs. Hongjoong quickly grabbed a glass of water and set it on the table in front of the blonde. After taking a long sip, Seonghwa’s eyes, filled with concern, met Hongjoong’s. “Are you sure? I can always help.”_

_“Seriously, I got this. You just relax here and dinner will be ready in no time,” the shorter gave a mock-salute as he marched into the kitchen to start work. Seonghwa giggled, his fiancé was adorable._

_But that day, the rice ended up burnt, kimchi all over the counter-tops and the fire-alarm was set off. Seonghwa gave Hongjoong a small glare as he, the taller of the two, reached up to shut the alarm off._

_“That’s it, you’re staying out of the kitchen for good.”_

_“But Hwaaaaa!!” Hongjoong whined, “You’re sick! Let me take care of you for once!”_

_“I’d rather cook myself a meal before I go to the hospital because I inhaled too much smoke.” Looking at Hongjoong’s puppy eyes that he could never refuse, Seonghwa dropped his angry demeanor and gave the red-head a hug. “But thank you for the thought, let’s just order take-out for tonight.”_

_Hongjoong had never run so fast to grab his phone and order pizza that lasted them the weekend._

The coffee machine hissing and a warmth surrounding him snapped Seonghwa out of his thoughts. A small grin crawling its way onto his face, he held the arms around his hips, allowing the other to know that he had acknowledged his presence.

A small ‘good mornin Hwa’ was muffled into his back and Seonghwa patted the arms around his waist once again. Reaching for the creamer on the top shelf, he put together Hongjoong’s daily dose of caffeine; A Cappuccino with 3 packets of creamer in his favourite owl mug. Nothing more or Hongjoong would go on a sugar-high.

_Seonghwa pulled out a baby blue mug out of the brown moving box, examining it as if it were a piece of treasure. “Love, can you come over here?”_

_“Mhmm!! What is it- oh.” The blue-haired stopped in front of Seonghwa. “I- I can explain, I swear I’m not childish or anything!”_

_“Joong, I didn’t say you were childish at all,” the taller pulled the pouting man into his embrace, “In fact, I think it’s quite cute of you. I didn’t know you liked owls that much because if you did, I would’ve gotten us that pair of matching owl sunglasses from the-“_

_All Seonghwa earned that day was a firm karate-chop to the back of his neck._

After fixing his own cup of tea, the two headed out onto the small balcony overlooking the street below. There, they watched as the rest of the world came to life. The cars on the road sputtered to life, people yawned as they left their homes to prepare for the morning commute. There were the few who stuffed food into their mouths as they ran along.

Like how Seonghwa had ran on the day of his interview.

Seonghwa looked over to Hongjoong, with nothing but love flowing through his veins, who was curled up on the cosy outdoor sofa they placed outside. ( _“Why would we need a sofa outside? It’s just gonna get wet and dirty.” “Just you wait till you take those words back, Kim Hongjoong. Outdoor sofas are a blessing.”_ )

The smaller sipped his coffee silently; Seonghwa knew it took awhile for Hongjoong’s engine to get up and running so they never really had any proper conversations in the early mornings. It was more, ‘What’s for breakfast?’ or ‘What time is it?’.He liked it. It was just comfortable silence that always enveloped the both of them.

Seonghwa loved Hongjoong.

From the way he dyed his hair extreme colours, to the way he deemed sugary Starbucks beverages better than Coffee Bean’s. The way he wore anything he wanted to the office or to anywhere in general. From going from the softest, quietest side of him who stayed in the living room to read to becoming the loud, life of the party.

He knew it from the first time they met; Seonghwa just knew that even if they weren’t soulmates, they were meant to be. Seonghwa’s arrival that day felt like it was expected. Hongjoong’s presence in his life didn’t feel like something uncomfortable, rather, it felt natural. Like he was always meant to be there.

Seonghwa had been waiting for 3 years. 3 whole years for this one moment on a cool, Autumn’s day.

_“Seonghwa, can you come here for awhile?” The boy responded by leaping into his mother’s arms. “Yes, Ma? What is it?”_

_“One day, when you grow up, when you meet your soulmate you may click. Like clockwork. Everything will fall into place as if it were meant to be for a long time. As if they were a constant in your life even before you met.”_

_“However, you may not experience that. Things between your soulmate and you may not work out. Things may go rough, you may fight all the time, you may even destroy each other.”_

_“So once you’ve found the one, take the opportunity. Take the chance, because you’ll never know when you’ll get it again.” Seonghwa felt a piece of hard, cool metal pressing into his palm and when he opened it, he gasped._

_“Ma, why are you giving me your ring?” Seonghwa’s mother smiled at him and lovingly brushed his hair out of his eyes._

_“Because one day, your father took his chance with me. You’ll need to take yours.”_

“-e need to go soon and it’s so cold out here! Seonghwa?! Love? Are you okay?” Hongjoong’s hands waved in front of his eyes, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Seonghwa could only bring himself to smile. He stood up, taking the hands of his fiancé into his own.

‘I’m doing this for you, Ma.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not a very developed chapter but we jumped to future!seongjoong :D next chapter is the end of this small story, so i hope you enjoy this one because it's gonna take me some time to write the next one!


	3. the balcony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hongjoong liked routine. but he would make an exception for park seonghwa.

Hongjoong did not expect his morning to go like this.

He expected to let Seonghwa wake up at ass-o-clock in the morning, tuck the shorter into bed and attempt to head out of the room quietly but failing miserably. He expected getting coffee and sitting outside on the balcony before heading back in to get ready for work. He expected them to hop into Hongjoong’s car and reach the office to bully Jongho at the front desk.

He expected some familiarity, _routine,_ not this.

“Seonghwa? What- what are you doing?” Hongjoong’s voice was shaking as he watched his lover getting down on a knee right in front of him.

“Kim Hongjoong. From the day we met till today, I’ve never once questioned my love for you. You were the confident, eccentric man that I keep close to my heart. We’ve been through thick and thin together, and not once have we left each other’s side. I want to spend every morning with you together like this, eat our three meals a day together for the rest of my life, and head to bed every night knowing you’ll be there. Will you marry me?” Hongjoong’s eyes started to water. It wasn’t long before Seonghwa noticed his boyfriend’s body shaking, and looking up, his eyes were red and he was sniffling. Seonghwa smiled, quickly exchanging the cheap plastic ring he won from an archade for the silver wedding band his mother passed to him, slipping it on and pulling Hongjoong into a tight embrace.

“Of course I’ll marry you, idiot,” Hongjoong laughed weakly, “Shouldn’t you be disgusted? I look so ugly crying right now.”

“To me, you’re absolutely gorgeous when you cry. So please stop, because you will never be more good-looking than me,” Seonghwa placed a gentle kiss to Hongjoong’s forehead, making him giggle.

“But did you mean it? What you said?”

“Of course I did, babe. You see,” Seonghwa wrapped his arms around Hongjoong’s waist, pulling his head to lie back against his chest, “My mom told me once that when I meet my soulmate, I would never separate from them. I would get along with them from day 1. Everything would fall into place. And I’ve taken the chance to make a promise I will never go back on in the future. In _our_ future.” Hongjoong could feel Seonghwa’s smile pressing onto his head.

Smiling, Hongjoong turned around. “Thank you Seonghwa. For everything that we’ve been through. But seriously, the balcony? I told you I envisioned my proposal somewhere romantic,” Hongjoong pouted.

Seonghwa snapped out of his loving gaze and a blush spread till the tip of his ears turned red. “Well! I thought the balcony was a romantic place, don’t proposals always happen on balconies when they least expect it?!” he flustered.

“I’m just teasing you! Now let’s go get ready for work, _husband_ ,” Hongjoong snickered and re-entered the apartment.

And that’s when Seonghwa knew, things were back to normal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the end to this little work! it's my first and quite clearly i didn't structure it well enough :-( i lost inspirtation to write half-way through because i've been working on another one! hope this chapter manages to wrap up the whole short story, thank you for your support and have a nice day ~

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first work (ever!) i've never written any sort of fanfiction so here's my first go ~ not beta read because i don't have anyone we die like men


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